Tennis practice target and display

ABSTRACT

A freely positionable tennis court practice target has a plurality of areas each of which generates a signal when impacted by a ball. A counter-display is responsive to signals from each area to numerically display the number of hits to each area. Lights and/or speakers may be included to provide an indication when each target area is impacted.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No.60/931,908 filed on May 26, 2007.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention concerns tennis and more particularly targets forpracticing shots on tennis courts.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide detectors for determining ifa shot impacts the court within bounds by electronically detecting thepoint of impact of a tennis ball, as described in U.S. Pat. Nos.5,342,042; 4,855,711; 3,982,759; 4,092,634 and 4,365,805 for example.Targets have also been devised for recording impacts when a tennis ballstrikes the target; as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,908,194; 3,874,664;6,715,760; 5,419,565 and 4,659,090.

Such tennis court targets and displays have not provided any scoringcapability such that practicing using the target are not particularlyentertaining and this is lack not particularly conducive to extendedpractice sessions, nor to engaging in competitive activity duringpractice with another player.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a tennis courttarget and display which provides a scoring scheme which provides addedinterest for practice sessions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above recited object as well as other objects which will beappreciated upon a reading of the following specification and claims areachieved by a portable target placeable anywhere on the court surface,and having multiple areas of progressively smaller size, numericdisplays are also provided each giving the total number of times a giventarget area is impacted in a practice session. A total score numericdisplay is also provided based on impacted cause tallying ofcorrespondingly different point values for each area in which theincreasing size of the target area has a inverse smaller point value.The counter-display is configured so as to be readily viewable on thecourt by a player. The total score point numeric display provided,tallying the cumulative points scored in any turn provides a basis forengaging in a contest between two or more players during a practicesession.

Thus, the practice sessions are given enhanced entertainment value andallow a game like contest such that longer and more intense practiceswill likely result.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a tennis court having target-displayarrangement installed thereon.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the target and counter-displaydepicting the major features.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the target shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 lyingon a court surface.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view of the counter-display component shownin FIGS. 1 and 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, certain specific terminology willbe employed for the sake of clarity and a particular embodimentdescribed in accordance with the requirements of 35 USC 112, but it isto be understood that the same is not intended to be limiting and shouldnot be so construed inasmuch as the invention is capable of taking manyforms and variations within the scope of the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a conventional tennis court 10with a multiple area target 12, here taking the form of a bullseyedefined by concentric circular areas 14A-14D of progressively greaterdiameter. The target 12 comprises a portable plastic mat which can bedisposed at any desired location on the court surface and is made ofweather resistant material such as durable plastic.

A counter-display 16 is pedestal mounted to be able to be supportedelevated above the court as at the net or along the sidelines 28A-28Dfor easy viewing by a player. The counter-display 16 comprises arectangular case having a front face provided with a series of coloredlights and numeric displays 30A-30D which are activated by a tennis ballimpacting one of the target areas 14A-14D to provide a visual indicationof hitting the target and cumulative numeric display correspondingly tosuch impacts during a practice session as described below in furtherdetail.

Ball impacts on each of the target areas 14A-14D generate electricalsignals which are transmitted to the counter-display 16, preferably by awireless transmitter 18 associated with the target 12, and processedtherein by suitable circuitry to activate display lights and numericdisplays as described in further detail below. The target wouldtypically include rechargeable batteries 19, terminals, etc. (not shown)as necessary to be powered.

Referring to FIG. 2, the target 12 is comprised of areas progressivelysmaller 14A-14B, each which are individually impact sensitive, i.e.,generate an electrical signal when impacted by a tennis ball. This canbe accomplished by various means known in the art includingpiezoelectric or other well known impact sensitive panels such asdescribed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,394,824; 4,824,107; 4,855,711; 5,908,194and 3,874,664.

The electrical signals are generated by ball impacts on each of thetarget areas 14A-14D are transmitted via electrical leads to a wirelesstransmitter 18, which differentiates the signals from each target area14A-14D, and transmits a coded signal corresponding to each area 14A-14Dto the counter-display 16.

The target 12 preferably comprises a weather resistant flexible plasticmat which lies flat on the court surface 10 as seen in FIG. 3, and maybe foldable as in half along a fold line 20, bringing perimeter handles22 together for ease in carrying.

The counter-display 16 includes a wireless receiver element 24 receivingcoded signals from the transmitter 18. Such wireless communicationdevices utilizing various wave energy such as RF, infrared sonic, etc.are well known for this purpose.

The counter-target display 16 may include case 26 mounting at the frontcorresponding colored lights 28A, B, C, and D matching the coloring ofeach target area 14A-14D. Each light 28A, B, C, or D is illuminatedbriefly when a tennis ball impacts the respective target area.

In addition, a respective numeric display 30A, B, C, D is locatedadjacent each lights 28A-28D which displays the total count of impactsof the corresponding target area 14A-14D in a given session.

A cumulative point total display 32 is provided at the center of thecase 26. Different point values may be assigned to the target areas14A-14D and the point totals summed in a suitable counter-processor 40contained in the case 26 operating the lights and also speakers 36.

This enables use as a competitive game played by two or more players

A reset button 34 can be used to clear the counter displays 30A-30D and32.

The speakers 36 can also optionally be provided, which can broadcastparticular song excerpts corresponding to each target area 14A-14D whena given area is hit. Such song excerpts or other sounds can beselectively prerecorded in a memory in the case 26, with volume controls38 also optionally provided.

A switch 42 can be included to switch from sound to lights and viceversa, or to turn off both.

Accordingly, a more entertaining tennis practice target display systemis provided which will motivate players to carry out more intensivepractice sessions.

1. A tennis practice target and counter display comprising: a movabletarget mat freely positionable at any desired location on a tenniscourt, said target having a plurality of distinct target areas, eachgenerating a corresponding electrical output signal when impacted; and acounter-display receiving said target signals and having a plurality ofnumeric displays each responsive to signals from a respective targetarea, each numeric display totaling and displaying the number of impactsof a ball with a respective target area in a single practice session. 2.The tennis target and counter-display according to claim 1 furtherincludes a series of lights each associated with a respective targetarea and illuminated each time a ball impacts a corresponding targetarea.
 3. The tennis target and counter-display according to claim 1further including a counter numeric display calculating and displayingnumerically a point corresponding to the total number of impacts withall of said target areas.
 4. The tennis target and counter-displayaccording to claim 1 wherein said target areas are defined by concentriccircles to form a bullseye.
 5. The tennis target and counter-displayaccording to claim 2 further including sound speakers activated eachtime an impact of a target area occurs.
 6. The tennis target andcounter-display according to claim 1 wherein a wireless transmittersends said target signals to said counter-display.